


Illuminate

by Miyamon



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Agent 4.... drinking smoothies, Agent 8 getting used to Inkopolis life, Angst, Callie becomes a shut-in and Marie is doing the best she can, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Pearl and Marina fluff, Post Octo-Expansion, Post Splatoon 2 story mode, Squid Sisters cuddles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 11:58:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16325795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyamon/pseuds/Miyamon
Summary: Post Splatoon 2 story mode and post Octo Expansion! Callie suffers lingering effects from her time with Octarians, and it falls solely on Marie's shoulders to take care of her. At the same time, thanks to Marina and Pearl, Agent 8 begins her new life in Inkopolis! Multi chapter, all of the agents (3,4,8) are female!





	Illuminate

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a multi-chapter fic focusing on what happens our girls after the end of story mode and the Octo Expansion. Please enjoy!

It’s a brisk fall evening. Summer’s heat has slowly disappeared within the past few weeks, and Marie had to admit that she didn't even mind walking home in this type of weather. She had always been the one that enjoyed fall. Not Callie though. Callie always loved the summer. Callie had been kidnapped for most of the summer, and she and Marie didn't get to do any of their regular summertime traditions. Marie gritted her teeth. Her hand subconsciously tightened its grip on the bag of takeout she was carrying. It's all in the past now, she has to keep looking forward anyway. The aroma from the bag was a good distraction from her other thoughts. Marie wasn’t much of a cook, and with Callie out of commission on most days, she’s gotten into the habit of picking up takeout when she goes out. Approaching her shabby apartment building and letting out a long sigh, Marie started up the many flights of stairs to their small apartment. They’d been living in the same apartment since they moved to Inkopolis years ago. Granted, they could have easily moved into a bigger, more spacious apartment in a building with an elevator (or even a large house or mansion, she supposed), but Callie and Marie had no need for more room, and were actually quite fond of the home they had made of their little space. The one thing Marie resented were these cursed stairs. She had fond memories of Callie bounding up these stairs even after a grueling day of work at the factory. Callie’s laughter and voice would echo through the empty staircase, taunting Marie to hurry up and get to where she was. Marie sighs again and continues trudging up the long, empty staircase.  
She stuck her key in the lock and the the door creaked open. The apartment was dark, as usual. “Callie?” Marie called out. No response. Marie flipped on the light and put the takeout bag on the table. Making her way to Callie’s room, she gave a light knock on the door.  
“Cal, it’s me. I’m home.” A muffled response. Marie pressed her ear against the door.  
“Did you want to eat dinner tonight?” A muffled response again. She still couldn't make out what Callie was saying. Marie decides to take matters into her own hands.  
“I’m coming in.”  
Marie stepped into Callie’s room. The normally pristine room had been in a state of chaos since her return. Callie used to enjoy keeping her room neat and orderly, but it seems she hasn’t been able to bring herself to clean it. Marie had tried the previous week to help Callie clean it, but the whole ordeal had ended with Callie crying, and Marie withdrew.  
Callie herself was tangled in a mess of blankets and pillows in her bed. She was face down in her pillow.  
“Hey silly, I can’t hear you properly if you try to talk to me through your pillow.” Marie sits on the edge of Callie’s bed. She places her hand gently on Callie’s back and when she sees Callie jump at her sudden unexpected touch, she inwardly curses the Octarians. It hurt to see Callie flinch whenever she was touched unexpectedly, especially when she had been so open and physically affectionate before. Those damn Octarians had to take everything away from her, Marie thought. Running her hand soothingly up and down Callie’s back, Marie gets to work coaxing her out of her room to eat.  
“You wanna eat dinner?” Marie asks again.  
Callie shakes her head no.  
“C’mon, you’re not gonna make me eat alone are you? I got Crusty Sean’s, your favorite.” Marie says temptingly.  
Callie turns towards Marie and peeks an eye out. “Did you get fries?”  
“Of course.” Got her.  
The only light source filters in from Callie's window; its a faint moonlight, but it lights up the room enough for Marie to see the glint in Callie's eye. She was far from being her happy, bubbly, smiling, self. But this, Marie considered, was progress.  
"Maybe I’ll eat a little..” Callie sits up.  
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. C’mon.” Giving Callie a moment to sit up and rub the sleepiness out of her eyes, Marie leads her by the hand as though she was much younger than she actually was to the dinging room. They decided to abandon the table in favor of eating on the (much comfier) couch. Marie is wise enough not to click on the TV, as the last time she did that, a rerun of a turf match set Callie into a fit when an inkling set off a bomb rush special. That set Callie back in progress. Marie had to walk on eggshells, avoiding any mention of things that might bring up bad memories for Callie, particularly in her current, fragile state. They ate in mostly silence, the conversation was mostly Marie talking about nearly anything she could think of that was a safe topic. Marie wasn't really used to being the talkative one, as Callie used to just talk her head off, but she never minded. She had always been the quiet one when they were children as well. Callie was always the boisterous and adventurous one, dragging her along to the far reaches of Calamari County on all of their mini expeditions as children. Marie had been timid, and quiet, and she had always felt that Callie was the one bounding on forward ahead of her, pulling her along. Even when they joined the New Squidbeak Platoon, Callie had been the one initially asked by their grandfather for help. Callie had quickly come to Marie's side and recruited her.  
~~~  
"Please! I can't do this without you!"  
"I've never been good at Turf War stuff. That's you. You're a devil with that roller of yours." Marie folded her arms. They had been living in Inkopolis for a few weeks when Callie had come to her with this crazy proposal about their grandfather and octolings and imminent danger.  
"Are you kidding me? I think you might be the best charger I know! I'm only able to move forward because you're protecting me! And anyways Gramps says this is really important stuff! He says Inkopolis is danger.. So will you please? Come with me?" Callie's plea was so earnest, and Marie knew she couldn't ever say no when Callie made that face. If anything she mostly agreed not for the sake of Inkopolis, but because she didn't want Callie rushing headfirst into some battle without any backup. The two of them eventually became a terror in Octo Valley, easily clearing areas like nobody's business. With Callie charging forward with her roller and Marie taking out anyone that got near her, they were nearly unstoppable.   
~~~   
Marie shook her head slightly. It wasn't the time to space out and get nostalgic about their days as agents. She had to focus on how Callie was now, and how she could get her back to normal again. Marie watched Callie pick at her food. Callie who used to eat so quickly she’d give herself a stomachache barely had much of an appetite for anything nowadays. Marie manages to continue her small talk with Callie, keeping her entertained with stories of how their friends were doing.  
Callie would nod and gave a response every now and then, but her bubbly enthusiasm and cheerfulness were long gone. As Marie begins to clean up their dinner leftovers, she decided to test the waters with a riskier conversation topic. “Your manager has been calling me. He wants to know if you’ll ever be returning to work. He wants to work on a comeback special.” Marie says nonchalantly, although she knows she dropping a massive bomb on Callie.  
There was silence for a few moments.  
“You..You know I can’t go back.” Callie's voice came out quietly, and she refused to meet Marie’s eyes when she spoke.  
“Why not?” Marie urges her gently. Marie's hand finds Callie's and gives it a reassuring squeeze.  
Callie shakes her head. “I just can’t. I can’t even go outside. I can’t. I’m..I'm even afraid to be here in this apartment with you.”  
'Afraid? Is she afraid of me? Is it because I sent a charged shot at her? It was meant to take the glasses off though' A dozen thoughts race through Marie's head.  
Marie positions herself so she's in front of Callie. She planned on confronting the reason why, head-on. “You have to tell me why, Callie. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me anything.”  
Callie's face crumples and the tears start. “I can’t.. I can’t..” And she’s crying again. Rather than loud sobbing, its a silent crying.  
“Oh, Cal..Come here.”  
Moving the remainder of the food she had on her to their little coffee table, Marie brings Callie into a hug. Callie trembles and sniffles against her. “I’m so scared, Marie. I’m scared.”  
“I know. I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> Next Chapter: Agent 8 and Off the Hook enter!  
> Side note: This is more so for the reader's sake, but since the Agent's are going to appear in this story, how would you like me to refer to them? I have a few names that I've used to refer to them in RPing before, but please let me know in the comments if you would prefer names or to refer to them as Agent/their number!  
> Agent 3- Mitsuki  
> Agent 4- Eva  
> Agent 8- For the beginning of the story she will be referred to as Eight, but if you have any ideas for names I would also love to hear them!


End file.
